I teach about and research civic media and political communication, and am interested in how citizens’ engagement with new technologies can restructure forms of political participation and ideas about citizenship. I’ve approached area of study from a variety of political contexts, from political campaigns’ use of social media, to games designed to increase participation, to development technologies and civic websites for kids. My ongoing work takes up these ideas in two major research projects. First, my book, Using Technology, Building Democracy: Digital Campaigning and the Construction of Citizenship details how political campaigns’ engagement with digital media shapes practices of political participation and influences public understandings, expectations, and ideals of participatory citizenship. Second, a series of research projects involving civic media tools and their capacity to foster particular civic and participatory skills (including studies on 311 apps in Boston, NYC and nationwide, and the development of StreetCred and the Habit@ project).

Ultimately, I approach my research with the goal of impacting tech policy and politics, in addition to advancing academic discussions.